Ongaku Cafe (The ’80s): Yamashita Tatsuro – Melodies (June 1983)

“Melodies” is a classic album from Yamashita Tatsuro that still is on my playlist to this day!

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ARTIST: Yamashita Tatsuro (山下達郎)

TITLE: Melodies

LABEL: Alpha Moon Inc./Moon Records

CATALOG #: 32XM-27

DURATION: 41 Minutes

RELEASE DATE: June 8, 1983

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1. 悲しみのJODY (She Was Crying)
2. 高気圧ガール
3. 夜翔 (Night-Fly)
4. GUESS I’M DUMB
5. ひととき
6. メリー・ゴー・ラウンド
7. BLUE MiDNiGHT
8. あしおと
9. 黙想
10. クリスマス・イブ

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Back in 1983, Yamashita Tatsuro released his 12th album “MELODIES”, his first album for Alpha Moon/Moon Records, after spending most of his career with RCA/Air from 1976-1982.  Wanting to write music especially lyrics on his own.

The album would reach #1 on the Oricon Album Charts and would be the album that would feature the song “Christmas Eve”, which would literally become Japan’s unofficial Christmas song for many years, decades and to this day, no matter how many years have passed since the release of the song, will be played throughout Japan during the months of November and December.

During the making of this album, Yamashita Tatsuro would be 30-years-old, several months prior, he would marry music artist Takeuchi Mariya.

In Japan, there is a thought that when an artists grows older, their music work is not as popular and that their quality of their work would start to wane.  But this was not the case as Yamashita’s move to a new label would focus on a more creator-controlled environment.

“MELODIES” was an album that was created due to the ups and downs of the Japanese music industry and questions of how many years one can create music that would appeal to the masses.

But transferring from a major label to a startup was a risky action but Yamashita felt at the time, he has been fortunate to have a great career throughout the ’70s up to the early ’80s and if he has five years left, might as well do what he enjoys doing, but this time, his way.

So, the album would feature songs written by Yamashita with the exception of “BLUE MIDNIGHT” and a cover of Glenn Campbell’s 1965 hit “GUESS I’M DUMB”.

The album debuted at #1, but then the following week was challenged by Matsuda Seiko’s “UTOPIA”, but “Melodies” would be back at #1 the third week.

The album kicks off with one of my favorite Yamashita songs “Kanashimi no JODY (She Was Crying)” and was based on an instrumental song he created for a TBS radio program.  And Yamashita’s inspiration was imaging a lost love during the end of summer.  Yamashita would release an English version of the song titled “JODY” on the movie soundtrack for “BIG WAVE” and would be used in various commercials years later.

The second track “Kokiatsu Girl” is Yamashita’s 10th single and was used for ANA Okinawa’s image song.  Yamashita was fascinated by poly rhythm and chord progressions that he decided to kick of the song with acapella and percussion.  And when people hear a sigh during the song, that is his wife, music artist Takeuchi Mariya.

The third track “Yoru Sho (Night-Fly)” is a ballad.  Many thought this was inspired by Donald Fagen’s “The Nightfly” album released the previous year but Yamashita said this was not the case, that the song was inspired by hearing the sound of sirens in Tokyo during the night.  Overall, a smooth track.

The fourth track is “GUESS I’M DUMB”, a cover of Glenn Campbell’s popular 1965 song written by Russ Titleman and music by Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson (who wrote the song when he decided not to participate in a Beach Boys tour).  A pretty solid cover.

The fifth track is “Hitotoki” and Yamashita wanted to write a song, with the feel of Tom Rush, the feeling of Greenwhich Village and the feel of Burth Bacharach.  And it’s a slower-paced track.

The sixth song on the album is “Merry Go Round”, a bass-driven track made by three people, drums, bass and Yamashita Tatsuro on the keyboard.  A funky track inspired by trying to create a Ray Bradbury-like work.  Yamashita talked about the challenges of making the track, by tryinig to put in a saxaphone or guitar solo in the interlude but it didn’t work and kept to a chorus.

The seventh song on the album “BLUE MIDNIGHT” was written by Yoshida Minako, one of the few tracks not written by Yamashita Tatsuro.  But considering that Yoshida is a well-respected songwriter/musician who has written for Hosono Haruomi and Otaki Eichii.  But another cool track showcasing Yamashita’s vocals and a cool sax solo.

The eighth track “Ashioto”.  Yamashita wanted to write a song about a weak man who falls for a florist clerk.  Giving it a Chicago vibe, it’s a song about a man who is attracted to the florist clerk and sees her each time he passes by the shop on the way home.  A slow-paced track in Japanese and English.

The ninth track on the album is “Mokuso” (Meditation) and a song he wanted to be the singer/songwriter and it’s a straight-up piano-driven track by Yamashita, with him also providing the chorus.  A short track (the duration is 1:32) overall but well done.

The tenth song is his masterpiece, “Christmas Eve” and immortalized thanks to the JR Christmas commercials and literally has become Japan’s unofficial Christmas song for the past 25-years (the only other song that has achieved a similar Christmas immortality in Japan is his from his wife, Takeuchi Mariya’s “Suteki na Holiday”).

Yamashita Tatsuro is probably one of the few albums from the very early ’80s that I still listen to on replay.  “Kanashimi no Jody (She Was Crying)” is a song that I love driving in a long commute and it sets the tone for the other tracks for me which range in style and overall enjoyment.  And of course, one can’t go without listening to “Christmas Eve” during the holidays.

But overall, “Melodies” is a classic album from Yamashita Tatsuro that still is on my playlist to this day!

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